Borussia Dortmund will earn more money if they LOSE Champions League final vs Real Madrid in unique twist

Borussia Dortmund will earn more money for losing the Champions League final to Real Madrid than for winning it, according to a new report.

The German side completed an incredible run to the final by beating Paris Saint-Germain over two legs in the semi-final.

Progress to the final two was unexpected for Edin Terzic's side, who are currently in fifth place in the Bundesliga and have lost key players such as Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland in recent seasons.

But led by veteran centre-back Mats Hummels, alongside the likes of Julian Brandt, Niklas Fullkrug and the returning Jadon Sancho, Dortmund have defied the odds to reach the showpiece event at Wembley on June 1.

Real, meanwhile, produced a memorable late comeback to beat Bayern Munich over two legs, with Joselu scoring twice in the second half of the home leg at the Bernabeu.

Ex-Dortmund star Bellingham will line up against his former club at Wembley, barring any late injury issues.

And if the 20-year-old proves pivotal in helping Real to lift their record-extending 15th European Cup, Dortmund will have a very small consolation.

The loser of this season's Champions League final will earn £12.9 million (€14.7 million), while the winner will net £17.2 million (€20 million) in prize money.

But the twist arrives in the form of Bellingham, and his transfer from Dortmund to Real Madrid last summer.

The England midfielder arrived at the Bernabeu for an initial fee of £88 million, which could rise to £114 million if specific add-on criteria is met.

Getty

According to German outlet Rhur Nachrichten, one of the clauses involved in the deal related to Bellingham winning the Champions League, which would force Real Madrid to pay an extra €5 million (£4.3 million).

And the German side will receive an additional €2 million (£1.7 million) payment if Bellingham is, as expected, named in the UEFA Champions League Team of the Season.

As a result, Dortmund would earn around €22.5 million for losing the final - as opposed to €20 million for winning it.

And even if the German side win the final and Bellingham is then named in the Team of the Season, they would earn a marginally higher amount of money.